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Lisburn art student helps create mosaic murals for hospitals

ARTS
Care artist in residence for the Down/Lisburn area Colin McGookin has just
completed mosaic murals in local hospitals with the help of young Lisburn
artist Sandra Robinson.

Sandra, who has just finished her Bachelor of Arts Fine Art degree at the
University of Ulster and has now been accepted to be a Master of Fine Arts
student at the Royal College of Art in London, volunteered to assist in this
latest Arts Care project at the Lagan Valley in Lisburn and the Downe in
Downpatrick.

The project was to be a series of mosaics made with service users and
staff of the Psychiatry Departments and to be sited in the gardens and
corridors of the hospitals.

Colin said: "Following on from our success with a series of
painted murals recently installed in the Lagan Valley and Downe Hospitals
there was a demand for some new panels to adorn other parts of the
buildings.

"I wanted to train as many service users and staff as possible in the
exciting and visually splendid artform of mosaic by creating a series of
small to medium images for both indoor and outdoor settings. Having a
talented artist like Sandra assist us was a most welcome addition to our
team and she really helped with generating new ideas and injecting a
hardworking and enthusiastic mood to our sessions. We now have more than a
dozen dazzling new mosaic panels ready to install in the hospitals."

Sandra said:"Working alongside Colin as part of the Arts Care team has
been an emotionally rewarding experience, whilst also giving me a clear
introduction into working alongside service users and supporting a workshop
environment.

"It has been a pleasure seeing first hand just how beneficial the work
that Colin, the Health and Social Care workers and Occupational Therapists
do in promoting well being, confidence and social interaction within the
service users environment."